


Time May Change Me

by misstinamarie



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Multi, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-21
Updated: 2014-06-22
Packaged: 2018-02-05 14:03:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1821001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misstinamarie/pseuds/misstinamarie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post series end, the gang learns more about themselves and each other. Post graduation, early college years.<br/>Fair warning, multiple queer characters, minimal pairings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Million Dead End Streets

It was the summer after graduation. Of course there were parties, bonfires, and for Danny Fenton, staying up late watching horror movies with his two best friends. Danny jumped as Nightmerica slashed Femalien on screen.

“Seriously? You’ve battled countless ghosts who have tried to kill you, not to mention your evil alternate future self but this scares you?” Tucker jabbed at his best friend.

“Totally not the same at all. Fake blood and guts are supposed to gross you out, and they’re totally different from ectoplasm goop.” Danny still covered his eyes as the monsters took turns slicing each other and regenerating at a constant rate. Sam stretched out on the couch, her head in Danny’s lap and her legs leaning against Tucker.

“Come on, we’ve watched this like a million times-“ Danny interjected “And every single time you make fun of me for being grossed out by blood and junk”

“So why do you still watch it?” Sam teased.

“No one ever said I don’t like them. I just don’t like blood. I’m gonna go get more snacks.” Danny went upstairs to the kitchen, perfectly timed like always. Femalien was going to vomit acid on Terminatra, circuiting her out leaving her twitching on the ground.

“Why does he hate this part so much? Even when we saw it in theaters he went to the bathroom during this part?” Tucker asked Sam as she readjusted, taking up the space where Danny had left. “It’s better not to press him about it” Sam sighed. “So do you think he knows?”

“You never told him you’re gay? I thought he figured it out after you guys broke up right after prom?”

Sam sat up “It’s not a big deal, besides it’s not like he would be mad about it or anything. It just kinda happened” “You just woke up one day and decided you were into girls?” Tucker looked at her over the top of his glasses with a wry smile.

“I mean, not exactly but sort of?”

“You’re right, he won’t be mad about it. You know how he is; he can pretty much handle anything about anyone” Danny came back with a fresh bowl of popcorn and took his place exactly where he had been, and Sam reverted to her usual position. Danny still squirmed at the usual scenes, covered his eyes, and scrunched his knees up. Sam knew when to move, as to not disrupt his habits. Eventually Tucker drifted off to sleep, as he always did right before the end of a movie. Sam could read either boy like a book.

“Danny?” Sam tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. She wasn’t the only who could read her friend like a book.

“What’s up?” Danny looked up as he put the DVD back in its case and handed it to her.

“I’m gay.”

Danny looked confused. “I know, remember? It was like two weeks after prom, a week and a half after prom.” Sam’s eyes widened in surprise, and took back her movie. “To be fair, I figured you wouldn’t remember because that was the same day Paulina pushed Dash into a pond and you were mad because it was disrupting the livelihood of the koi fish.”

Sam laughed, she couldn’t believe how oblivious she had been, but Tucker was right, this was Danny. He had the lock on biggest secret to keep, but all that was gone now.

“Sam? Can I ask you something?”

“Of course, you know that.” Danny shifted his weight “If I wasn’t, you know, half ghost, we would still be friends right? I just, ever since everyone found out I just feel like everyone knows the wrong side of me. They don’t see Danny Fenton, they see the kid who isn’t Danny Phantom right now.” He sighed “Sometimes I wish I was just one or the other”

“Look, we were friends before, we’ll be friends after. Danny Fenton is my best friend, not Danny Phantom. Besides, Danny Phantom can be kind of a jerk sometimes, but that Fenton kid is okay.” She elbowed him in the ribs.

“Hey that hurt!” Danny pretended to rub his sore side, pouting his lips. He smiled slowly, breaking his cover.

“No matter what, you’re the one who controls your ghost powers. Not the other way around. Give yourself a break Danny you are a hero, and that’ll never change.” Sam smiled, her purple lipstick had mostly faded. "Look, you know I don't do this often, but I think we need to hug it out"

"Wow, a sad day when a goth is cheerier than I am" Danny forced out a laugh. 

"Just shut up and enjoy it while it lasts, ghost kid" Sam retorted as the two hugged. No hesitation, no insecurities, just two best friends. Sam ruffled his hair as he let go.

 


	2. Turn and Face the Strange

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title from the song Changes by David Bowie.

Now that the time was here, going to college didn't seem so scary. Danny, Sam and Tucker were all going to University of Illinois, so being apart wouldn't be an issue.

Jazz had left for her second year at Brown a week before, but Danny secretly wished his doting big sister was there to see him off, no matter how annoying she could be. He always took the cheek pinching with a slight smile. He only wanted his sister to think he hated her, but deep down they both knew they had the best sibling they could even imagine. 

The three sets of parents lined up outside Fenton Works, each waiting for their kids to finish packing up their last few absolutely necessary possessions. The Mansons, clad in white slacks and sweaters carefully placed over their shoulders, complete opposite of their only daughter, tried to ignore the jumpsuit wearing Fentons. Maddie tried her best to hide her disdain while Jack was blissfully unaware of any conflict. Danny had managed to convince his parents not to take the ghost hunting van without turning on the cloaking mechanism, so it at least looked like a normal car.

Sam leaned against the counters in the Fenton basement. "Don't you think it would be nice to live in a place, I don't know, that doesn't have a ghost portal in the basement?"

"Look, this place is oddly comforting. I mean, yeah it's weird but they're my parents. And since the entire world found out that I'm a half ghost crime fighting superhero, neither of them have tried to kill me so that's a plus?" Danny clapped his hand on the edge of the ghost portal that had caused his powers, before losing his balance slightly.

"Some things never change" Tucker gave his best friend a slight shoulder punch.

"Yep. Half ghost, full klutz" Sam chirped. The two wrapped their arms across Danny's shoulders.

Danny broke away from the group hug with a blush. "I have to go pack up the rest of my posters "

"Ay ay,  Captain Space Cadet" Sam saluted.

Danny rolled his eyes "What even is your major?"

Sam brightened "Horticulture, duh. At least I'm not an astro-physics major. You realize how much work that is, right?"

"Look, physics is like the only thing I'm good at. And besides, I need it if I do actually want to be an astronaut"

"You've wanted to be an astronaut since you were four, man. Maybe it's time to let it go" Tucker tried to reason.

Danny just continued taking down his Cape Canaveral poster.

"At least I have experience, you know flying and all. Besides, I can't bank on being a paid for hire superhero for the rest of my life. Who even knows if I'll still have my ghost powers in 10 years."

"Danny, Sam, Tucker, pack up the rest of your stuff! We're leaving in T-minus ten minutes!" Jack bellowed.

"We'll be right down dad!" Danny yelled down in response.  

"Do you think your parents will get anything to work without you or Jazz around" Tucker laughed.

"Probably not." Danny shrugged. "I think I would rather have it that way than anything else"

He swung his last duffel bag over his shoulder. 

"No matter what, I'll always be the son of two ghost hunters, no matter how much they kinda suck at it"


End file.
